Hand-knitting machine



Dec. 28, 1965 MAKOTO TANAKA 3,225,568

HAND-KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet l Q 8/ L10INVENTOR.

MA KOTO TANAKA F i .30, BY 3, 1

ATTORNEK D 1965 MAKOTO TANAKA HAND-KNITTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed April 9, 1962 INi ENTOR.

1 I w y I Dec. 28, 1965 MAKOTO TANAKA 3,225,568

HANDKNITTING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FfiyG 3/ 3/ WWWW WW W W United States Patent 3,225,568 HAND-KNITTING MACHINE MakotoTauaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Art Amiki Kabushiki Kaisha,Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Apr. 9, 1962, Ser. No.186,235 Claims priority, application Japan, Apr. 13, 1961, 36/ 12,652 3Claims. (Cl. 66-60) The present invention relates to a hand-knittingmachine, wherein various patterns can be selectively and automaticallyproduced by adapting a pattern selecting aparatus which is disposedwithin the body of the machine.

Hand-knitting machines, which permit automatically the production of anydesired pattern, are designed such that all their knitting needles canvary their positions upwardly and downwardly. These knitting needles aredivided into two groups. The first group is disposed in an upperposition and performs the pattern production by operation of the patternselecting device, The second group is disposed in a lower position andparticipates in the pattern production. By operation of a lock only theneedles belonging to the first group are forcibly caused to perform theprocess of the pattern formation.

A pattern selecting apparatus is known, wherein several freely slidablemultiple cam plates are arranged such that the cam plates move crosswisebelow the needles and can move freely.

A concave portion receiving the needles is formed on the surface of eachof the cam plates. On the other hand the pattern-selecting device cancomprise a rotating cam rod, which moves below the needles and canrotate about its axis. A groove-like concave portion receives theknitting needles and is formed about the cam plates.

Concerning the concave cam parts, which receive the knitting needles inthe slidable multiple-cam plates, each of the plates has its concaveparts, the position and distance between the parts being different fromthe corresponding values of another cam plate. The patternknitting canbe performed by one of the cam plates or by the combination of two ormore than two of the plates, in order to produce a desired pattern. Incase of a rotating cam rod each of the lines has in a plurality ofdirections its concave parts along the axis on the outer periphery, thepositions of and distance between the concave parts being different fromthe corresponding values of any other line. A cam line is chosen byrotation of the rod in accordance with a pattern to be produced. In thismaner a desired pattern is produced.

As stated above, in the known pattern selecting devices a knittingneedle is lowered into a concave cam part and the butt of the loweredknitting needle is removed from the position in which the butt of theneedle engages the forming cam of the lock.

Accordingly, the needles belonging to this group, which are lowered andremoved from the position, where the lock engages the pattern formingcam, are inoperative and hold the yarn with their hooks. Only theneedles belonging to the first group, which are not lowered, areeffective on the formnig cams of the lock, in order to bring about apredetermined pattern. For this reason, after performance of apredetermined pattern by means of needles belonging to the first group,a further pattern is formed or after termination of the pattern aformation without pattern is performed with all knitting needles. It isrequired to raise needles belonging to the second group which arelowered into the concave part of the cam.

Thus, in using the known method, it has been, by all means, necessary toprovide a complicated mechanism in order to raise up all neeedlessimultaneously.

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It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide ahand-knitting machine, which avoids the drawbacks of the knownstructures.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hand-knittingmachine, wherein all knitting needles, Whose positions can be freelychanged upwardly and downwardly, are subjected to a pretension in upwarddirection. They are formed such that they are positioned on the surfaceof the cam of the pattern selecting device, which is disposed inside ofthe main body; the butts of the needles are arranged such that they arealways in engagement with a group of formation cams of the lock. Aneedle selecting device is provided on the lock, which device dividesthe needles into two groups, namely, into one group to which belongneedles which are disposed on the concave parts of the selection device,and into another group, to which belong such needles which are disposedon the face of the cam. Needles which belong to each of these groups arecaused to be moved over a cam provided separately for each of thegroups. Thus, at first a further particular pattern formation can bestarted, without necessity that the needles are raised simultaneously,or a pattern formation can be terminated. In this case a particularlyadvantageous performance can be obtained.

The same pattern can easily be transferred in crosswise direction suchthat the number of loops is reduced by one loop with each step of thepattern selecting device.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide ahand-knitting machine, wherein each needle is automatically selected bythe needle selecting device of the lock, so that the needles passthrough a particular circle. In case of pulling-up knitting or a patterninterknitting, the present device avoids a troublesome operation. Suchoperation must be performed for displacing by hand the needles which donot coincide with the needles which act upon the formation cam, namely,the needles which should be made to pass through the upper cam circle orthrough the lower cam circle.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the present invention will be clearlyunderstood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-section of the main body of a knitting machine;

FIG. 2 is a rear plan view of the lock;

FIGS. 3 and 3a are elevations of a cam plate indicating the relationbetween the needles and the pattern figuring cam plates in differentoperational positions;

FIG. 4 is an elevation similar to that of FIG. '3;-

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the needle selecting device in relationto the showing of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional View of the device shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-section of another embodiment than that shown in FIG.1; and

FIG. 8 is a front elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, the hand-knitting machine comprises afront end wall 2 and a back end wall 3, which end walls 2 and 3 areconnected by a grooved plate 1 which covers the upper face of the mainbody of the knitting machine. Knitting needles N extend through thewalls 2 and 3, freely moveable forwardly and backwardly.

The shanks of each knitting needle N pass through a vertical guidingbore 4, disposed in the back end wall 3. The needles N are pushedupwardly by the free end of a spring 5, for instance a blade spring, thebase of which spring is fitted to the inner bottom surface of the mainbody. They are pressed against the upper end of the guiding bore 4.Thereafter the butt b of each needle N passes through a needle groove 6of the groove plate 1 and projects upwardly.

Thus, the knitting needles N have the tendency of moing upwardly at alltimes.

On the inner face of the main body of the knitting machine severalpattern plates 7, 8 and 9 are arranged such that they are disposedcrosswise below all knitting needles N and engage each other in thedirection of movement of the needles N.

The pattern plates 7, 8 and 9 are equipped with toothlike cam portions7', 8 and 9' projecting from the upper end faces of the plates 7, 8 and9 and including concave and convex parts.

As indicated in FIGS. 3 and 3a, the cam portions 7' are arranged suchthat the needles N are positioned one after the other alternately on theconcave parts and the convex parts, while the cam members 8' arearranged such that one needle N is positioned on the concave part andthe two adjacent needles are positioned on the convex parts. The camportions 9 are arranged such that one needle is positioned on a convexpart and the adjacent needles on the concave parts. Each of the patternplates 7, 8 and 9 is usually kept in such position that the convex partsof each of the cam portions 7, 8 and 9' is disposed in the space betweentwo adjacent needles N. The pattern plates are positioned axially to apredetermined relationship with each other and with the needles N. Asshown in FIG. 4, for instance the convex part of the cam portion 7 ispositioned below the shank of the fixed needle N.

A horizontal slot 10 is provided in the pattern plates 7, 8 and 9 and abolt 11 extends through the rear end wall 3 and through the horizontalslots 10. Accordingly, the longitudinal movement of the pattern plates7, 8 and 9 is controlled by the horizontal slots 10 and by the bolt 11passing through the slots 10.

A lock 12 is mounted on the groove plate 1 and includes fan-like cams 13and a lowering cam 15 which forms an idling passage 14. Swing-can1s 16are provided, which open and close, respectively, the idling passage 14.Swingcams 18 are swingably secured to the lower ends of the fan-likeearns 13 and open and close, respectively, a lower idling passage 17. Atuck cam 19 is also provided which can raise to the tuck position theneedles N which have been lowered into the lower idling passage 17.

Needle selecting cams 20 are arranged on the two outer sides of the lock12 such that they extend along the faces of the cams 18, that is alongthe outer face of the main cams 13.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 2, the base ends of the cams 20 are securedaxially at a position, where the free end of the swing earns 16 engagesthe free ends of the swing cams 18 in the position in which the upperidling channel 14 is opened and in which the lower idling channel 17 isopened. The free ends of the cams 20 are always in the position, inwhich the lower idling passage 17 is closed.

If the swing cams 18 open the lower idling channel 17, guiding slots 21are set on the needle selecting cams 20 such that needles passing underthe needle selecting cams 20 can enter into the lower idling passage 17.The butt of knitting needle N only can enter the guide slots 21 in viewof the upwardly directed force of a spring 5.

Accordingly, the depth of the guiding slots 21 must be properlypredetermined in accordance with the present invention.

Needle selecting members 22 are secured to the outer face of the needleselecting cams 20. The ends of the arms 23 of the needle selectingmembers 22 are secured axially to the needle selecting cams 20 by meansof pins 24.

The pins 24 are surrounded by coil springs 25, one end of which engagesthe cams 20 and the other end forces the needle selecting members 22 indownward direction.

The needle selecting members 22 turn, therefore, downwardly until thecams 20 abut on stops 26. They close resiliently the outer end entrancesides of the guiding slots 21.

In this case, the tension of the springs 25, forcing the needleselecting members 22 downwardly, must be greater than that of thesprings 5, which pretension the needles in upward direction.

Further, the lower face of the needle selecting member 22 must beinclined such that the member 22 turns upwardly in the backwarddirection.

As it is set forth below, it is also desirable that, as shown in FIG. 6,the guiding slot 21 is formed gradually deeper such that the entranceside has the least depth and the exit side has the greatest depth, andin particular such depth that the upper end of the butt b of a needle Nin its upward position may be received at the exit end.

If now each of the pattern plates 7, 8 and 9 is in its normal position,in which the convex face of its cam member is positioned such that it isdisposed between the needles, a knitting needle, the butt b of which hasbeen brought to the rear end of the needle slot 6 by the reciprocatingmovement along the groove plate 1 of the lock 12, is moved forward alongthe outer face of the cam 20, because the butt b is carried off by oneof the needle selecting members 22, namely the cam 20. Then the needlemoves downwardly against the force of the spring 5, because the butt [1is pushed down by means of the needle selecting member 22. Then theneedle moves upwardly again into the position, where the butt b passesthrough the guiding slot 21 and slides out of the guide slot 21. Thenthe butt [1 passes through the circuit course for a formation accordingto the main cams 13 and the lowering cam 15, and after that, pushes theother needle selecting device into the open position so as to performthe general plain knitting process.

Due to the slow deepening of the guide slot 21, the needle moves slowlyupwardly as the result of the operation of the spring 5 during thepassing through the guide slot 21 in view of the downward force exertedby the needle selecting member 22. When the needle reaches the exit ofthe guiding slot 21, the needle is restored to its original upperposition and continues its working stroke in the same manner. At themoment the needle passes the guide slot 21, it moves upwardly. By thismethod, the noise creation due to the upward movement or the return ofeach needle can be avoided.

When one or more than two pattern plates slide for the performance of apattern formation and then the convex face of a cam member is caused tobe positioned below a fixed needle and the lock is additionallyoperated, the butt b of the knitting needle N positioned on the concaveface of the cam member of the pattern plate is, as mentioned above,caused to move downwardly by the needle selecting member 22. Then theneedle is caused to pass through the guiding slot 21. The needle Npositioned on the concave face of the cam member is caught by the convexface and is not permitted to descend, as 15 shown in FIG. 5. The needleN moves the needle selecting member 22 upwardly against the force of thespring 25 and moves along the outer face of the needle selecting member20.

Accordingly, if the upper idling pasage 14 is opened to the left side ofFIG. 2 by means of the swing cam 16and the lower idling passage 17 isclosed by means of the swing cams 18, then a needle positioned on theconcave face of the cam member of a pattern plate passes through theupper idling passage 14 and a needle positioned on the concave face ofthe cam member gets through the guiding slot 21. It moves upwardlythrough the formation cam circuit in view of the raising cam 13 andfinally the knitting process can be performed.

If the upper idling passage 14 is closed to the right side of FIG. 2 bythe swing-cam and the lower idling passage 17 is opened by the swing-cam18, then a needle passing through the guiding slot 21 moves through thelower idling passage 17 and then comes to a stop; a needle, which couldnot pass through the guiding slot 21, moves along the side face of theneedle selecting cam 20 and enters into the formation circuit and isacted upon by the raising cam 13. Thus the same pattern formation as isthe case in the known device can be performed.

In this condition, if the pattern plates 7, 8 and 9 (only one patternplate will be sufficient for the pattern formation) are shifted sidewaysas one body by a distance of one Wale, then the same pattern is obtaineddisplaced laterally.

FIGS. 7 and 8 disclose an embodiment, wherein the needle selectingmembers 22 are omitted, which in the previously mentioned embodimentclose resiliently the outer ends of the guiding slot 21, provided at theneedle selecting cams 29.

In this embodiment, springs 31 are disposed in place of the needleselecting members 22, which springs 31 extend downwardly from theslidable foot of the lock 12, the needle Nprojecting rearwardly from therear end of the groove plate 1 is pushed downwardly by means of the freeend of the spring 31. The spring 31 is stronger than the spring 5 whichtensions the needle in upward direction. Accordingly, the needle Npositioned on the concave face of the cam of the platform plate disposedin the interior of the main body of the knitting machine, is presseddown by means of the spring 31. It is caused to pass through the guidingslot 21 of the needle cam 20 provided at the lock. The needle N passesthen through the main circuit, while the needle N positioned oppositethe convex face of the cam moves such that it bends the spring 31upwardly and then moves along the needle selecting cams 20. It movesfinally through a circuit different from that through which theaforementioned needle N passes.

Therefore, the position of the free end of the spring 31 must beproperly decided in such manner, that the spring 31 moves forwardly to acertain extent along the needle selecting cam and presses down a needlewhich has just reached the outer end of the guiding groove 21.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is desirable that the spring 5,which pushes a needle into the upward position, is caused to act uponthe needle in a direction opposite to the spring member 31, as shown inthe drawing.

In this embodiment, also a needle is always in the upper position justas in its aforementioned embodiment, and needles positioned opposite theconvex and the concave face of the cam of the pattern plate are selectedby means of the spring 31, so as to go through separate circuits,respectively.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is tobe understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in alimiting sense,

the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects andthe claims.

I claim:

1. A hand-knitting machine comprising a main body,

a plurality of knitting needles having a butt and disposed parallelrelative to each other and movable in said main body to assume a high,operative position and a low, inoperative position, respectively,

a pattern selecting device disposed in said main body and passing acrossbelow said knitting needles,

said pattern selecting device having at its upper surface a projectingportion receiving said knitting needles,

resilient means pushing said knitting needles upwardly individually tosaid high, operative position and lifted from said high position by saidpattern selecting device.

a carriage mounted on and movable along said main body,

cam members secured to said carriage and causing said lifted knittingneedles to perform a knitting operation, and

means associated with said carriage moving said knitting needles notpositioned above said projections of said pattern selecting device intosaid low, inoperative position.

2. The hand-knitting machine, as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said pattern selecting device includes a needle selecting memberand the latter has a guiding groove below its upper surface and saidbutt of said knitting needles capable of passing said guiding grooveonly in the low, inoperative position of said needles, and

said needle selecting member closing the entrance of said guiding grooveto push downwardly knitting needles positioned on a flat portion of saidpattern selecting device into said low, inoperative position and to pushupwardly knitting needles positioned on said projecting portions of saidpatern selecting device into said high, operative position.

3. The hand-knitting machine, as set forth in claim 3,

wherein said guiding groove has a depth smaller at its start than at itsend, and

means for restoring said knitting needles to their high, operativeposition upon leaving said guiding groove.

1. A HAND-KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING A MAIN BODY, A PLURALITY OFKNITTING NEEDLES HAVING A BUTT AND DISPOSED PARALLEL RELATIVE TO EACHOTHER AND MOVABLE IN SAID MAIN BODY TO ASSUME A HIGH, OPERATIVE POSITIONAND A LOW, INOPERATIVE POSITION, RESPECTIVELY, A PATTERN SELECTINGDEVICE DISPOSED IN SAID MAIN BODY AND PASSING ACROSS BELOW SAID KNITTINGNEEDLES, SAID PATTERN SELECTING DEVICE HAVING AT ITS UPPER SURFACE APROJECTING PORTION RECEIVING SAID KNITTING NEEDLES, RESILIENT MEANSPUSHING SAID KNITTING NEEDLES UPWARDLY INDIVIDUALLY TO SAID HIGH,OPERATIVE POSITION AND LIFTED FROM SAID HIGH POSITION BY SAID PATTERNSELECTING DEVICE. A CARRIAGE MOUNTED ON AND MOVABLE ALONG SAID MAINBODY, CAM MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID CARRIAGE AND CAUSING SAID LIFTEDKNITTING NEEDLES TO PERFORM A KNITTING OPERATION, AND MEANS ASSOCIATEDWITH SAID CARRIAGE MOVING SAID KNITTING NEEDLES NOT POSITIONED ABOVESAID PROJECTIONS OF SAID PATTERN SELECTING DEVICE INTO SAID LOW,INOPERATIVE POSITION.